Folding wall bracket

Abstract

A bracket includes an anchor plate for mounting on the front face of a narrow vertical member such as a stud and having a channel-like opening for pivotally supporting a hanger member. The support member has a pair of fingers spaced apart a distance greater than the width of the vertical member and connected by a cross member integral with the fingers and including an offset central section having a pair of vertical legs. The side legs of the central section are spaced apart less than the width of the vertical member. When the support member is in an extended, operational position, the side legs rest against the vertical front face of the vertical member to limit further downward pivotal movement of the support member under the influence of gravity. The support member pivots upward with respect to the bracket to a retracted storage position where the fingers are stowed adjacent the sides of the vertical member and the side legs limit further rearward movement. In both extended and retracted positions, gravity biasing the support member to remain stable in the absence of position action to displace it.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows. 
     
       1. A bracket adapted to be mounted on the narrow face of a stud-like support, said bracket having a plate-like base piece adapted to seat against and be secured to the narrow face of said support, the improvement in said bracket comprising: a one-piece article engaging member having an arm, a base element extending from said arm, said base element having a first portion and a second portion generally normal to said first portion and when said member is in extended position extending generally parallel to the plane of the base piece and a third element extending from the end of the second element generally parallel to said first portion and joined to the arm, said first portion pivotally secured to said base piece, the second portion of the base element being adjacent the base piece and the base element being dimensioned to space the arm away from the base piece whereby if said base is dimensioned narrower than the face of the stud-like support and if said second portion of said base element is dimensioned to space the arm to one side of the stud-like support said second portion of said base element is adapted to rest against the face of the support when the member is in extended operating position and the arm will be above the base piece with the arm seated on one side of the support when the member is in retracted storage position, the center of gravity of the member in extended position biasing if forwardly and downwardly and the center of gravity of the member biasing it rearwardly when the member is in retracted position. 
     
     
       2. A bracket having a plate-like base piece, the improvement in said bracket comprising: a one-piece article engaging member having an arm and a base element having a first portion and a second portion extending normal to said first portion, and a third portion interconnecting said second portion and said arm and spacing said arm from said base piece, and means on said base piece pivotally securing said first portion to said base piece. 
     
     
       3. A bracket adapted for mounting on the forwardly offset vertical face of a laterally narrow support such as a building stud, said bracket having an article engaging arm and an anchor plate, said anchor plate having a forwardly offset midportion forming a channel in the rear face thereof flanked by a pair of ears occupying a common plane, the improvement in said bracket comprising: said arm having a pair of spaced fingers: a cross member having a central portion and remaining end portions integral with and interconnecting said fingers; a central portion of said cross member being offset from the remaining end portions thereof in an upward direction as said bracket is positioned for receiving a load; said offset central portion being seated in said channel and having a pair of side leg portions; whereby said arm is pivotal about said offset central portion from a lowered operating position with said fingers projecting outwardly from the support to a raised storage position wherein said fingers are seated adjacent the sides of the support; and whereby the legs of said cross member are adapted to be in the plane of said ears and to rest against the vertical forward face of the support in both positions to limit further pivotal movement under the influence of gravity. 
     
     
       4. A bracket as recited in claim 3 wherein said channel has a length less than the width of said offset central portion, and said legs are substantially perpendicular to said central portion and have a vertical orientation when said article engaging arm is in a lowered operating position. 
     
     
       5. In combination, a bracket and a narrow vertical member, said bracket adapted to be mounted to the face of said narrow vertical member, said bracket having an article support member integrally formed of a wire having a generally circular cross section, and an anchor plate having an elongated channel and a pair of generally flat flanges extending from opposite sides of said channel, said channel along its length opening toward the rear of said anchor plate and having all cross-sectional dimensions slightly larger than the cross-sectional dimensions of said article support member; said flanges each including an opening for passing mounting screws to secure said anchor plate; said support member having a pair of generally vertical arms integral with and joined by a cross member, said cross member being dimensioned to space said arms a greater distance than the width of the vertical member; said cross member having a central portion offset in a vertical direction when said support member is in an operating position, said central portion being dimensioned narrower than the face of the vertical member and wider than the length of said channel and being seated in said channel, and said cross member having a pair of vertical leg portions for connecting the extremities of said central portion to remaining end portions of said cross member; and said support member, at said central portion being pivotally connected to said anchor plate for pivotal movement between the operational position in which said arms extend forwardly out from the face of the vertical member and the rear face of said cross member is in the plane of said flanges and adapted to seat against the face of the vertical member below the pivotal connection and a storage position in which the forward face of said cross member is adapted to seat against the face of the vertical member above the pivotal connection and said arms project rearwardly adjacent the sides of the vertical member. 
     
     
       6. In combination, a bracket and a narrow faced stud-like support, said bracket adapted to be mounted on the narrow face of said stud-like support, said bracket having a base plate and an article supporting member, said base plate being mountable to said narrow face of the support, said member having a first portion pivotally mountable to said base plate and a second portion projecting therefrom to provide an article support, said first portion being dimensioned narrower than the support face and the second portion having a pair of article support elements and being dimensioned to space apart said elements wider than the support, said member being pivotable between an extended position with its center of gravity forward of and below the pivotal attachment of said first portion to said plate and a retracted position with its center of gravity rearward of and above the pivotal attachment of said first portion to said plate with said first portion being in the plane of the base plate and adapted to seat against the face of the support in both positions.